What did Meghan McCain say about Greta Thunberg? Former The View host sparks backlash over Shrek comparison

Meghan McCain is facing criticism after she insulted climate activist Greta Thunberg's appearance and likened her hairstyle to the cartoon character from Shrek.

The incident started with McCain commenting on a video of Thunberg defending Palestine and condemning the world's inaction on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. She publicly posted on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote in a now deleted post:

"I refuse to take anyone talking about politics seriously with uneven bangs and this sh***y Lord Farquaad hair,"

Lord Farquaad is a character from Shrek famous for his distinctive short bob haircut, and so people widely regarded this as a jab at her personally, rather than a critique of Thunberg's positions. McCain, 40, has not publicly commented since deleting the post.

The comment was quickly condemned by users on X, many of whom charged McCain with engaging in mean-girl behavior.

Others called out the hypocrisy of attacking a woman’s physical appearance, especially after McCain herself has spoken out on body shaming. On a 2020 episode of The View, she complained about criticism related to her looks, saying:

"I would like to talk about politics and not have every comment be about the way I look and my weight. It makes you feel weird... Men just don’t have that problem. Everyone talks about how we look on this show all the time. Can’t you just hear what we have to say?"

Meghan McCain’s first clash with Greta Thunberg

Meghan McCain has previously criticized the Swedish activist. In 2019, after Thunberg was named the magazine's Person of the Year at 16, McCain questioned the decision on The View, saying the honor should have gone to the whistleblower revealing the Trump-Ukraine scandal and cautioned that such recognition could create unreasonable expectations for someone so young.

"I don’t agree with her as a choice, and I also think if you are 16, is this peak for her? What comes next? I mean, this is a high, high bar for her. I don’t know how you can possibly live up when you are 17 when you’re already Person of the Year." Meghan McCain said at that time.

At that time, she noted that she wouldn’t personally go after Greta Thunberg because of her age and that she didn’t agree with the comments made about Barron Trump during impeachment because she doesn’t think minor children should be brought into politics.

The current controversy arises as Greta Thunberg gears up for a second effort to deliver aid to Gaza in a "Freedom Flotilla." Thunberg's first attempt in June ended when Israeli forces boarded the ship and took the passengers into custody.